Everything You Need To Know About Epoxy Flooring
An epoxy floor is one of the most durable surfaces you can put over concrete. It adds a nice, lasting shine to the surface and is particularly useful in commercial settings, warehouses, institutions and the like because of its durability. Once applied, epoxy is difficult to remove so make sure it’s the right floor coating for homes and your business.
What Exactly is Epoxy Flooring?
Epoxy resin flooring or synthetic resin flooring consists of epoxy resin with additives (e.g. quartz sand or other types of sand) and a hardening agent. The resin reacts with the hardener to form a polymer binder. Reinforcers can also be added to an epoxy resin floor.
Nowadays, water-based epoxy resins are mostly used as they are a more healthy and environmentally friendly version of the epoxy resin floor. For decorative purposes, synthetic resin floors are also pigments, flakes or other additives. These additives can be used to create different patterns in the floor. Epoxy resin floors have many advantages over other floor coverings such as vinyl, tiles or textile floor coverings.
Why Epoxy Flooring?
Epoxy resin can be used to create a seamless and impermeable floor covering that is not only resistant to chemicals and mechanical stress but also easy to care for.
1. Aesthetics
Epoxy resin floor coverings have flawless, smooth and easy-to-care for surfaces that can be designed with many different colors and with different degrees of gloss (high-gloss, semi-gloss or matte). The design options also include the addition of colored microchips and additives made of metal pigments.
2. Low Maintenance
Because epoxy resin floor coverings are seamless and impermeable, they protect the concrete substrate from chemicals, liquids and other contaminants. These types of floors are easy to care for. All you need to clean is a mop and a conventional floor cleaner. Apart from this simple cleaning, epoxy resin floors require little maintenance and are very durable.
3. Safety
One of the overlooked benefits of epoxy flooring is the ability to add sand and other materials during the resin application to create a non-slip surface. This is particularly important in the commercial sector because customer safety is imperative there.
4. Durability
Epoxy resin floors are highly durable in a wide range of environments. Some are only used by pedestrians, others are used by trucks and forklifts. Industrial epoxy resin floors can withstand daily stress from a wide variety of vehicles and production processes. Because the material is resistant to abrasive wear and chemicals, floor coverings made of synthetic resin meet the requirements of most industrial sectors.
5. Applicability
As one of the most versatile floor coverings, epoxy resin flooring is an excellent solution for a wide variety of areas. It is suitable for industrial and manufacturing businesses, trade and retail, healthcare, food production, aviation, sports, education, transport companies and many other industries. It is also increasingly being used in the private sector, mostly as a floor covering for garages and basements, but it can also be found in many other rooms too.
Types of Epoxy Resin Floors
From an aesthetic point of view, epoxy resin floors are very versatile. You can choose from a variety of colors, styles, effects and other decorative options. There are several types of epoxy resin floors.
1. Terrazzo Epoxy Resin
Terrazzo epoxy resin has a decorative, durable and seamless surface. This type of epoxy resin floor is produced as a mixture of colored epoxy resins and selected additives (e.g. marble, mother-of-pearl, glass, granite, etc.).
Epoxy resin terrazzo floors are not only decorative and durable, but they are also easy to care for and have a long service life (up to 40 years). Thanks to its aesthetics, durability and long service life, this flooring system is ideal for all types of public buildings, offices and private homes.
2. Epoxy Resin Floor With Decorative Leaves
This floor covering is made using paint flakes of various sizes, which are poured over the entire epoxy resin base coat. Finally, a resistant, transparent protective coating is applied. The result is a highly decorative floor covering that is easy to care for, highly abrasion-resistant and resistant to chemicals. This variant of the epoxy resin floor is suitable, among other things, for department stores, exhibition rooms, restaurants and educational institutions.
3. Epoxy Resin Floor Coating or Epoxy Resin Paint
Epoxy resin that is applied with a roller is sometimes referred to as epoxy resin paint or epoxy floor paint. The final result is usually a plain, matt or semi-matt or semi-matt floor. Because the epoxy resin layer is thin, the surface must be perfectly smooth and level. Such floors are mostly used in areas with light or medium traffic, but they can also be used in industrial, commercial or private areas.
4. Self-Leveling Epoxy Resin Floor
Self-leveling epoxy resin floors are used for various purposes, but most often in areas with high mechanical or chemical stress. The main advantages of these floor coverings include their high resistance to mechanical and chemical stress, their attractive appearance and the ease of maintenance and cleaning. Self-leveling epoxy resin floors are produced in a thickness of 1 to 5 cm and consist of epoxy resin, hardener and filler. They are also very inexpensive.
Why You Need an Expert For Epoxy Flooring
1. Chipping of The Epoxy Resin Floor
Incorrectly applied epoxy resin floors will begin to flake off after a while. This unpleasant appearance usually occurs as a result of insufficient surface preparation before the final coat of paint is applied. Proper surface preparation is very important before applying any coat.
2. Air Bubbles
The appearance of air bubbles is the second undesirable consequence of improper execution. You always have to keep this in mind when coating the substrate. Substrates with a high moisture content require special measures in the manufacture of the floor covering.
3. Damage to The Subsurface
Damage to the floor covering can also result in damage to the subsurface. This is why choosing an appropriate resin flooring system is extremely important. The use of a resin that does not match the conditions at the installation site can cause damage to the floor and consequently damage to the subsurface.
Hire a professional
Epoxy resin floors are a long-term solution if they have been installed by experienced contractors. The numerous advantages of epoxy resin floors only come into their own if the floor has been carried out professionally.
However, professional execution can only be ensured by a professionally competent person carrying out the work. Expertise and precision are the two key factors in execution, so it is very important to select an experienced contractor. For seamless and professional work, you can contact Sherif Construction for your epoxy flooring in Montreal, the top concrete epoxy floor contractors.
